The Mooring Tree

We loved this historical fiction! It is a perfect companion to history studies of the New World and early colonization. The story was engaging and very insightful to the time period. Some of the language was a little hard to follow in the first few chapters of the book, as it included a lot of nautical terms. Some of which, I was even unsure about. I had to stop and explain to my children what was going on a few times at the start of the book. It seemed a little more difficult than a Level 7 for that reason. There was also a small handful of other words with older meanings, which took further reading or dictionaries to help us figure out what it was talking about. But this is definitely a book we love having in our library, and it will be one that we enjoy re-reading.

We bought many TGTB books and really enjoyed them, but this one was a super slow read. I appreciate the history as in so many books we’ve read, but in my honest opinion, this was a little drag.

This is a must-read historical fiction novel. It follows Jason from getting on the ship to arriving in Jamestown. We see how Jason builds a life in the New World with his hard work, honesty, integrity, fairness, and kindness to all. I loved this book.

I love historical fiction, and this novel did not disappoint. Beginning the narrative in England in 1609 where several ships set sail for Jamestown, the author gives us some insight into the hardship of the voyage, the real dangers and difficulties of starting a new colony, the colonists’ friendly or small-minded interactions with the Native Americans, and the basic workings of the community. The main character, Jason, is a great role model for anyone. He’s honest, hard-working, brave, and has such a good heart and moral compass. My only complaint about the book is that I wanted more about his father. I highly recommend the book and can’t wait until my children are old enough to read it too!

We’ve studied a lot about the settlement of Plymouth Rock, but don’t know as much about the settlement of Jamestown. I previewed this book on my own, reading it through in a single sitting, and I’m so excited to use it with my kids in our studies next year. This book is well written and engaging with great character development.